Serpent, Dove
by Amalphiya
Summary: Edward Cullen has lived in Stonehill, Pennsylvania for three years - but it isn't until he has to move away that he meets Adriane Charday. Pre-Bella Twilight/Avalon:WOM crossover.
1. For Words

**[serpent / dove]**

"_Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves."_

— _Matthew 10:16_

**. … .**

**one: for words**

Edward Cullen sat alone in the waiting room of Stonehill Medical Center with his head tilted back against the wall and his eyes closed. Carlisle had wanted to see him, but he had failed to mention that he was treating a patient and was at the time unable to meet him. His thoughts were drifting to the most random of subjects, everyone _else's_ thoughts turning into a dull static, when he heard someone walk from the hallway (from someone's _room_!) into the waiting room. He opened his eyes and looked up when he realized that he couldn't hear this person's thoughts—or anyone else's, for that matter. The static in his mind had been replaced with a restful silence.

And then, he heard it: a tiny voice, very soft, almost inaudible, said, _I'm scared! Oh my _gosh_, I'm scared I'm scared I'm—_, and then it was interrupted and drowned out by a louder version of the voice: _**Hush,**_ it said,_** because being scared isn't going to help Gran get better. The only thing that can help is time, and a little bit of prayer.**_ Then the tiny voice responded, almost sarcastically, _I don't believe in God. Not really_, only to be answered with a thought so selfless and stubborn that it almost _scared_ Edward; he was too used to hearing selfish thoughts. _**I'll believe in anything that can help Gran.**_

Edward's eyes widened slightly. Was this girl really willing to put aside her own beliefs to find solace for her grandmother? He looked up, gazing at the girl now instead of the air just over her head. She was young, sixteen at the most, and she had olive skin and fine facial features—wide dark eyes and a thin nose and full lips suggesting an Indian heritage—and long black hair that was pulled up in a messy ponytail that was held in place by a braided chord. She was dressed in all black, too, and wore heavy hiking boots that were scuffed with mud.

She saw him looking and her expression immediately hardened. Her thoughts were easy to read in the silence—_her_ thoughts could actually penetrated his mind and forcibly _make_ him hear them: **Oh, great, another guy for the girls to drool over that really couldn't give a damn about his **_**flavor of the week.**_ There was such a hostility that Edward couldn't help but wonder what kind of girl this was.

"What are _you_ looking at?" she asked, drawing Edward away from his thoughts with a heated defensive that would have made Carlisle—and nothing in the world could _ever_ bothers him— jump out of his skin. Her arms crossed over her chest and her lower lip stuck out in a scowl… but her lip was _quivering_, only slightly, like she was on the verge of tears.

_Like she might lose the only person she loves_, Edward had to think. Instead, he didn't answer for a long while, actually pondering what to say. At first, he _hadn't_ been looking at her: he'd been looking at the wall, which suddenly and unexpectedly had become _very_ interesting. He couldn't say that, of course. This girl was the first he'd met whose mind wasn't immediately clogged with lusting and fanciful thoughts, and he most definitely didn't want her to think of him as… well, as a _freak_. Granted, the vampire thing was a given, but she most definitely wasn't going to know about that.

That was when she cleared her throat, tapping her foot against the linoleum impatiently. That was also when he realized that he was going to have a hard time dealing with this girl—because Edward Cullen was _always_ able to keep his cool around humans, particularly human girls; it was becoming painfully obvious that this dark beauty could easily get under his skin, force him to spill all his most painfully kept secrets if she wanted to—of course, that meant Edward would use everything in his repertoire so that she _wouldn't_ want to.

"Are you deaf? Mute?" She was closer now, standing almost directly in front of him, her venomous defense still in her voice. That quiet, sensible voice in her head was spinning circles now, because deep down she probably _knew_ that there was a perfectly plausible reason for Edward's silence—and there was—but the voice was starting to make Edward's head hurt, hearing an obnoxiously persistent mind-voice fret and complain about a million things at once.

"No." Edward said, turning golden eyes and worried frown onto the girl whom he didn't even know but still insisted on making him _worry_ and _fantasize_ and _a million other things_ about her.

There was a pause, and then, "So you were ignoring me?" The scowl and lip-quivering pout vanished in an instant to be replaced by a vicious smirk. She was obviously good at hiding her emotions, at least from anyone who couldn't read minds. Her arms dropped to her sides, bending at the elbow so that her hands could settle in her pockets. The fluorescent lights caught the amber gem on her wrist and it seemed to crackle with a glow like the anger he saw in that smirk.

_She wants to be comforted but refuses to admit it…_ Edward thought and sighed, looking down. From the corner of his eye he saw her expression changed, and _almost_ heard her think, _**I knew it. He isn't worth my time**_**,** but then he decided he'd imagined it. "Of course not. I was trying to think of something to say, and you distracted me—," he began saying, then cut himself off with his own thoughts: _Distracted? Where the hell did _that_ come from? I'm _not_ distracted._

She laughed then, expression changing (again) to something of amusement. "You're kidding," she said with a sigh. "I'm not interesting enough to distract people." She looked away, the paw print-shaped amber pulsing on her wrist as the blood rushed to her cheeks, coloring them.

Edward rolled his eyes. "You seem interesting. I mean, who else can laugh like that when she's about to cry?" he asked, voice coming out a little loftier than he'd wanted it to—what was with this conversation anyway? He was the equivalent of Rosalie: the Ice _King_! And she had him making conversation as if he was a normal person with an interest in other people's lives. Worse yet, _he_ had _her_ blushing, and _she_ had _him_ wondering what it would be like to change her—already! Edward shook his head, clearing his thoughts. He most definitely didn't need blood or biting or (he inwardly shuddered) _changing_ on his mind.

Her dark eyes immediately widened and her breathing hitched slightly in shock. "Is it that noticeable?" she asked, voice coming out in a whimpering squeak that threatened tears. _Adriane, Adriane, calm down… don't cry. You don't want him to think you're some soft loser_, she thought rapidly, trying very hard not to break down right then and there.

Edward nodded. "You look like you've been here all night and didn't sleep a wink." _Funny, you talking about not sleeping_, his thoughts said, running away as soon as his mouth closed.

She bit her lip, debating whether to tell him her story or not. He stayed silent, too, trying to shut his thoughts up—he didn't want to say or show something that could jeopardize whatever this was (this meeting with this girl whose name may or not be _Adriane_). He also didn't want to rush her.

Finally, she spoke. Her voice was soft, barely louder than a whisper: "My gran's in the hospital. Something's wrong with her lungs. The doctor was pretty optimistic, but the nurse said she probably wouldn't make it."

Edward swallowed a lump in his throat—_great, now I'm feeling sentimental, too?_—and his fist clenched. He couldn't think of anything to say and he could sense that there was more—her mind was full of memories now, and he could see that her grandmother was the only real family she felt she had. _That _was especially painful to him—his family was different and massively dysfunctional on the best of days, but he loved them. And, there were six of them. Adriane was all alone, abandoned by her parents, with her grandmother in the hospital. Finally, he got up the nerve to break her reverie. "I'm sorry to hear that," he said, and he meant it. For reasons unknown, he cared for this girl deeply and felt like he knew her even though in reality he didn't—she seemed so strong, so untouchable, but at the same time frightened and vulnerable. At that moment, realization dawned on him that he hadn't asked her name. He knew it, yes, but it would be regrettably awkward for him not to ask. So he did:

He asked, "What's your name?"

She answered, "Adriane."

There was a painfully long silence, during which he stared at the wall because _he_ was too used to being stared at and undressed by girls' eyes, but he could tell she was staring at him with a hungry curiosity that didn't involve anything at all sexual. He became increasingly aware that it was Adriane's turn for questions.

Her first: "So who are _you_, Mr. I-Can-See-What-You're-Thinking?"

He hesitated, then said wonderingly, "Edward Cullen," and remembered that he didn't know her last name; he could always as later. Where had that nickname come from? Could she, somehow, notice that something was different about him? Or was it simply a strange coincidence?

During his reverie, they lapsed into silence again—but a contented, amiable one, in which Edward paid attention to his thoughts and Adriane to hers. Edward, however, also indulged in listening to _her_ thoughts some of the time, as well. It wasn't until Adriane actually knew his name that she allowed herself to stare at him and admire him—but it was in a subtle, polite, _I don't think he's that into me_ sort of way. It was actually kind of flattering, actually.

Then, again, the silence was broken. They both spoke at the same time:

"It was really—"

Adriane blushed, looked at the ground, then said, "You first."

"It was really nice meeting you, Adriane." Edward said with a purposeful politeness that would make most girls swoon. Adriane, as he expected, was better than that. his tone actually gave her the courage to look into his eyes and _not _pass out.

"Yeah. Me too." She smiled one of her odd little smiles. Edward could tell it was a rarity, and when it happened he could see a small dent in her cheek near the corner of her mouth.

Edward returned her smile in generous proportions before looking up at the door when he felt Carlisle's presence in the doorway. When the blonde doctor cleared his throat, Adriane jumped and looked up, her thoughts actively rambling protests about anything happening.

"Edward," Carlisle said with a warm smile. "Are you ready to go?"

Edward stood up and nodded, trying to make it seem like nothing about this girl fazed him at all. He smiled at Adriane, then glanced down, "I… ah… I guess I have to leave you here."

Adriane blinked, then her eyes widened as the realization came to her: _Cullen_. Her smile faded, but her eyes kept that cheerful sparkle in them. "It's no big deal," she said, although her mind was screaming that she didn't want him to leave. "I mean, it's perfectly natural for you to hang out with your dad." She paused, then as an afterthought, she added, "I have to go and check on the Preserve anyway."

The two Cullens shared a glance, and Carlisle nodded. "I think the medication I gave your grandmother today should clear up the liquid in her lungs," he said, reaching out and touching Adriane's shoulder gently. She _almost_ flinched away, but didn't. "Just keep yourself busy, and try not to dwell on this. She'll be good as new before you know it."

"Thank you, Doctor Cullen," she said, eyes still smiling. "I'm sure she'll be better soon." She gave an awkward, twittering little wave before turning and stalking out the door quickly, almost blushing again.

As soon as she left, Edward shot Carlisle the darkest glare he could muster before walking wordlessly out to the parking lot, getting into the car and looking out at the woods behind the hospital. As Carlisle pulled out and turned onto the interstate, Edward could have sworn he saw a girl all in black, running towards the trees with a black wolf at her side. That got him thinking about a certain tribe of Indians he knew… but of course, that was completely unlikely. They wouldn't leave their territory, and their reservation was on the other side of the country. There was too much land between La Push, Washington and Stonehill, Pennsylvania for that to be possible.


	2. For Worries

**[serpent / dove]**

"_Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves._

—_Matthew 10:16_

**. … .**

**two: for worries**

For the next three days since she'd met Edward Cullen, Adriane did as Doctor Cullen had said: she kept herself busy with the animals at Ravenswood Wildlife Preserve, and delving through her summer reading list (she'd quickly discovered that _Romeo and Juliet_ wasn't her kind of story.) She was kind of happy that Kara's family had taken her on a cruise and that Emily was visiting her dad—she didn't want them to know about Edward, or how the amber stone on her wrist had crackled, pulsed, and heated against her skin as soon as she started talking to him. When she'd asked Dreamer about him (because of course he'd been able to smell Edward as soon as she'd slid out the clinic's automatic doors), he couldn't sense anything magical about him. _I don't like him_, the wolf had said with a disdainful sniff. That was one thing that Adriane ignored—Dreamer hardly ever liked someone as soon as he met him or her.

What bothered her about Edward Cullen was that he had formed a nasty habit of coming, unbidden, into her thoughts and messing with everything—in her attempts to escape boredom, she often found herself zoning away from whatever was doing, thinking of Edward's pale skin and gold eyes (even if they did have an insomniac's dark circles underneath them) and the way his copper-colored hair would look if they'd met in a place lighted by something other than fluorescent tubes. Then she would shake her head, mentally slap herself, and get back to work, only to find herself daydreaming again. Then she began to worry: was she really that attracted to him, already? And _he_ most likely didn't even like her! Whatever it was that had made him talk to her—sympathy, perhaps—was probably as flighty as a sparrow in the winter. Edward could belong to any modeling agency on the planet, and Adriane—well, Adriane stood out like a cockroach on a wedding cake. It was _that_ obvious that he wasn't into her, despite his cheery conversation, and the fact that he could make her laugh when Gran was in the hospital with pneumonia (summers in Stonehill bring rain and humidity, and if you stay out for too long—trying to fix the Ravenswood Manor roof, for instance—you can either hurt yourself or get sick) and most likely (not) going to get better.

Even if Edward _did_ like her, he would _never_ admit to it. None of the guys at Stonehill High paid that much attention to Adriane except maybe Kyle Davie's group—but most of that attention was subtle (or maybe not-so-subtle) jokes. Was Edward the type of person who would _pretend_ to like a girl and get her hopes up, or does he treat everyone with a strange sort of flattering respect so that his attractions and feelings are kept secret?

Adriane closed her eyes and threw her arms in the air, wincing when she felt her palms collide with the wooden back of her chair. She genuinely _liked_ Edward, and she knew so little about him! All she knew was his name, that he was surprisingly intuitive, that he was the doctor's son, and that… that was it. She bit her lip, hard enough to draw blood, and winced. It wasn't like her to get such strong feelings so rapidly—the only person she'd immediately had a liking for was Stormbringer, and her former paladin was dead. Worse yet, it was Adriane's fault! _She_ was the one who had brought about the grey mistwolf's death. Tears sprung to her eyes at this confession and realization, and she tried to blink them away. She didn't _need_ all this! With Gran in the hospital, she didn't need some guy randomly running through her thoughts, or a heaping order of guilt either. She needed to make sure that Gran could just rest once she got out of the hospital. Once Gran was better, Adriane would be able to take everything else, a little at a time.

But for now, she couldn't help but worry about how everything was going to present itself once school started again for the year: if Gran didn't get better, Adriane would be shipped to New York to live with her parents and travel, but if Gran _did_ get better, she'd have to deal with Edward on a daily basis, like it or not, _together_ or not. Unfortunately, Edward didn't seem to be the kind of person she would be able to get over quickly enough. Thus, any summer fling would have a gnarly aftermath. Or else, it would turn into something far greater than any summer fling could dream to be.

All Adriane could think to do was continue to keep herself busy and accept things as they came. Some old phrase her mother has said once came up, _carpe diem_. Willow Charday was all about old phrases—this one in particular meaning 'seize the day.' The last few days—and probably a few more to come—definitely needed to be seized. Adriane simply _had_ to force herself to think of other things.

_**A/N;: **__This wasn't exactly a real chapter—originally, instead of "for worries" this chapter was called "for interludes," but I changed it after the chapter unfolded into something less entertaining and more worried. BUT, even though it's only a filler chapter, it _does_ have some plot building in it._


	3. For Treasures Gained

**[serpent / dove]**

**. … .**

"_Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves."_

— Matthew 10:16

**three: for treasures gained**

It was noon when Edward finally got up his nerve to go and see Adriane. Carlisle said that her grandmother was going better, and he wanted her to know that. (Granted, he knew that she didn't know yet because he'd been waiting for her at the hospital; having not seen her there, he assumed she had not gone to visit. There was nothing creepy about that, at all.) Edward had a feeling something was up when he passed Alice on his way out to the garage, where his beloved silver Volvo waited—his "sister" looked at him appraisingly and then let out a tinkling bell-like laugh. Then, once she regained her composure, she asked: "Edward, where are you going?"

"Out." Edward didn't exactly need to answer her; she probably already knew the answer. "To see a friend."

Alice nodded knowingly. "I see a dark stranger in your future," she said both mysteriously and somewhat jokingly. "Or is she a stranger?"

"Of course not." Edward said, walking down the hall thoughtfully before heading out the door towards his car, where it waited dutifully in the driveway.

"I'd walk, if I were you!" Alice called from the front doorway. "It wouldn't do a car much good to be taken to a wildlife preserve."

Edward shot a glare at her direction and turned the other direction, walking down the driveway to the road before taking off at a run towards Ravenswood. What would probably be a twenty-minute walk from the mansion to the preserve lasted all of eight minutes, maybe more (but only a little.)

Fixing his hair so that it looked less windblown and more carelessly tousled, he looked at the old wooden door of Ravenswood Manor, held his breath, and knocked: once, twice, three times… and then it swung open.

His eyes widened at what he saw: Adriane, who had been so carefully dressed in a neat black shirt and jeans yesterday seemed completely unhinged this day, her falling down her back and over her shoulders carelessly, a smear of olive green paint across the bridge of her nose, eyes wide with surprise at seeing _him_ there. She was wearing shorts cut off at her thighs and a red tank top that was slightly to big for her, the hem falling down to the short's tiny pockets. She was barefoot, with turquoise and lime green polish on her toes.

"Heh-hey!" she said, running a hand through her hair nervously, completely unaware of the wet paint on her face that now smeared down her nose _and_ her cheek. "I was just—ah—painting. What's up?" she leaned casually against the door frame, but he could see in the way her hands clasped and twisted in on each other that she was nervous as _hell_ with him being on her porch.

"Carlisle says that your grandmother should be getting better soon, so I thought I'd drop by and bring you the good news." Edward spoke with a careful persistence that emulated the way an H&R Block C.E.O. would deliver a new business proposal to the falling economy. He was polite and sincere, trying to make it sound as if he didn't wait at the hospital for the best of the last four days to see if she would come to visit her grandmother.

"Oh…" For a second, Adriane looked utterly crestfallen, but then she smiled. "Thank you for coming," she said, trying to mock his subtle politeness and failing completely, sounding a little too bored (and at the same time, eager) about the subject.

"No problem." Edward smiled and couldn't help but notice that her breath caught slightly when he did. It faded, but only just. "How is your painting going?"

"Fantastic!" She smiled, and Edward caught a smidgen of a thought: _Face it, he's not into you and he probably doesn't want to see it—__**Shut up, and let me see if he wants to or not.**_

Edward almost laughed at that, and then thought it rude to laugh at someone else's thoughts, particularly if they didn't _know _you could read minds. He heard a growl behind him and turned, eyes narrowing, as Adriane walked past him and knelt next to a black wolf—the one he'd thought he saw on the way out of the hospital. "I'm glad to hear that." he murmured, watching the girl and wolf with interest.

"Ssh, Dreamer, 'sokay," she was saying softly, stroking the animal's ears. Edward's eyes widened when he heard a new voice in her thoughts: _Adriane… I don't like him_. Again, that brought to mind an idea that one of the La Push Indians had followed his family to Pennsylvania: he couldn't read the thoughts of animals, but this wolf seemed to be different; it seemed like it wasn't a _normal_ animal, but at the same time the thought didn't have the human qualities the La Push Indians did in their wolf forms.

"His name is Dreamer?" Edward asked. The wolf looked at him and stepped forward, taking a gargantuan sniff before stepping back again. Edward's eyes gave away a bit of distress when he heard that male voice in Adriane's mind again: _He smells like blood… _animal_ blood, Adriane. One of the big furry things that sleeps through the winter._

_**A bear?**_Adriane thought, as if she was having a conversation with herself. Edward was wondering whether he was hearing things or if she was a schizophrenic when she said, "Yeah… Dreamer. I've known him since he was a pup." Dreamer let out a bark and growled at Edward again, and Adriane sighed. "Looks like he's going to be difficult. Um—would you like to come inside?"

"As long as it isn't a problem," he smiled at her, glanced down and Dreamer and edged towards the door. Adriane looked at the wolf and sighed. _**I'll talk to you later,**_ she thought, then stood, turned and walked towards the door, gesturing for Edward to come inside before she closed the door again behind him.

"It's not a problem at all," Adriane said quickly, leading him to the parlor and gesturing for him to sit down. She still seemed nervous as she remained standing, twittering slightly like a bird on a perch. "Um… Can I get you anything to drink or eat?" Adriane's own stomach was threatening to heave up whatever foodstuff might still be left undigested from last night's dinner.

"No, but thank you." He smiled, sitting leisurely on a sofa. He couldn't help but notice that the tiny wooden table in front of him was completely covered with art supplies: canvas, sketch paper, a portfolio, pencils, paints, a palette, pastels, et cetera. His eyes narrowed. "Can I see some of your—_ahem_—" he cleared his throat, then sighed, "—some of your finished works?" he asked, an awkward, crooked little half smile that made Adriane blush.

"I have a studio upstairs," Adriane said, adding silently, _but it isn't much of a studio_. "Come see!" Her smile gushed with excitement, but it faltered slightly when the nagging thoughts returned to her: _He's not into you. He's just being polite_.

Edward sighed, getting up gingerly and smiling. "Lead the way," he smiled, following her up the stairs and paying close attention to the conflicting thoughts rushing through her mind. She sounded so distraught, but on the outside she was perfectly calm—and he was completely astounded by the magnitude of what she was feeling for him.

Then, quite suddenly, her foot slipped on the polished mahogany wood of the stairs, and she fell backwards, a whimpering yelp catching in her throat and leaving her mouth as a gasp. Edward was on the step behind her in an instant, arms wrapping around her waist and setting her up on her feet again. _**He's cold.**_ Adriane thought. _**He's cold as ice, even though it's summer and there's no air conditioning out here.**_Then Edward heard that masculine voice in her mind again, the voice that he was beginning to associate with the black wolf, Dreamer, on some sort of lunatic whim, say: _Why is that, Adriane? Why?_

Adriane ignored Dreamer's voice. "Eh-Edward…" she said in that same gasping whimper. She could have sworn she saw his gold eyes change color (and she could have sworn they were _red_, of all colors) but quickly decided that she was seeing things.

"Are you okay?" Edward asked, voice honey and oil—some sort of smooth, irresistible poison that only he possessed. His gaze shifted from concern to relief to something else altogether in the second it took her to say one word:

"Oh-okay," she repeated in a strangled voice, nodding vehemently although it was obvious the fall had scared her a little. Next thing Edward knew, she was out of his arms and standing up again, finishing their plight up the stairs. When she reached the top, she turned again and smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry about that—I'm usually not that clumsy." Her smile made it seem like nothing was bothering her about their previous proximity, but her thoughts turned into a maelstrom of confusion: Adriane _liked_ him, probably even _loved _him, never mind that she didn't know him. That part was confusing enough, and if you add in the factor that she also thought he didn't give a damn about her, the resulting equation is as difficult as a Trigonometry problem given to an Algebra student.

"Adriane…" Edward breathed her name out lightly, almost like a sigh, eyes closing briefly as he sorted her thoughts with his own. They agreed on many things, and disagreed on one major detail—that was the part of the equation that made it Trigonometry. He continued up the stairs and stood next to her, gazing into her eyes for a moment (her eyes were almost level with his—almost, not but not quite. She was slightly shorter) before looking away, appraising each closed wooden door with a mysterious smile. "Let's get you to your studio before you fall and actually hurt yourself."

Adriane smirked, walking to the door on the far right. "I'm surprised, Cullen," she said, flinging it open with a clang. "Are you afraid of a little blood?"

Edward shook his head, mentally slapping himself for walking into that one. "No." he said, then, almost as an afterthought, he added, "Just of you hurting yourself."

Adriane blinked. "That seems to be happening more and more frequently, but for some reason only when you're around."

Edward smiled gently, "I'll make sure you don't get hurt… that is, if you're willing to keep me around." He watched Adriane's eyes widen and her face flush, and he could only discern one thought: _**Of course I want you around.**_ That was invitation enough—he smiles, steps closer, and takes her hand gently. "…I—" he paused, interrupting himself, mind spinning rapidly. Why was it his mind only ever stopped working and spun inward on itself when _Adriane_ was around? "—I don't know what you could possibly thinking about right now," he began, lying through his teeth, "but I think it might be about me. And… Adriane… I think you've been thinking about me since I got here."

Adriane held her breath until her heart started pounding in her ears. Edward winced—as if this was painful for him—and murmured a couple words that Adriane couldn't believe.

_**A/N:**__ MUAHAHAHA. CLIFFIE!_

_So anyway, here is MORE. (Wow, Aly, two chapters in one day. Fantastic!) And also, ever wonder why Edward is so afraid of Bella hurting herself? BECAUSE, with Adriane, he discovered that he has an amazing ability to dazzle people so that they cannot think, walk, or see correctly, resulting in many accidents involving walls, roller skates, laundry hampers, light switches, and thermostats. Hah. Oh, and second story windows over mind-scarring hibiscus bushes, also. Pink ones. _

_More to come! Read, review, have a cyber lollipop (because cyber-cookies and hugs are too overused, and I only give hugs to people I know. Totally. I most definitely do _not_ go up to random people in the mall and tackle them. Especially not the guy who is now one of my best friends. Hah. Insane.) and take a rest because there is MORE TO COME! :D_


	4. For Lessons Learned

**[serpent / dove]**

**. … .**

"_Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves."_

— Matthew 10:16

**four: for lessons learned**

"What do you know about the supernatural?" Edward asked.

Adriane let out her breath in an exasperated sigh. She was silent a long while, her mind conjuring up memories: Drake the dragon, Ozzie (who was conveniently away with Emily—a talking ferret can be a pain in the you-know-where even at the best of times), the Dream Catcher over the portal, Aldenmor, the mistwolf pack, Stormbringer… even Lorelei the unicorn and the herd of foals and colts they'd found in New Mexico. The list seemed endless, and when she cleared her head and focused on the task at hand (answering Edward's question without giving anything away), she could only come up with one thing:

"What?"

Granted, it was mostly because she was staring into his eyes again, locked in with that odd, crooked smile. Then she shook her head, composing herself. "I mean, supernatural like how? Ghosts?" Her eyes widened in mock fear and she crossed herself—never mind that she wasn't exactly Catholic.

"No," Edward said, his smile broadening just slightly—and she was stuck again. "I think you know what I mean." Adriane realized with a rapidly growing fear that she couldn't tell what Edward was thinking, and that she wasn't sure that he was human—he could be anything (certain memories of a brush with a Skultum with a task for releasing a certain evil Sorceress form a floating prison called the Otherworlds came to mind.)

Adriane took a deep breath, about to spill Ravenswood's biggest secret to some guy she'd only known for four days (technically, only one day—less than an hour—but who was counting?), and bit her lip, leaving the secrets trapped in her throat in the form of a lump. She was silent for a long while, torn between telling him the truth or spending at least part of the summer living a lie.

"Adriane?" he pressed, stepping closer to her. He wasn't _trying_ to manipulate her, she could see that, but that was simply how it was turning out. His voice dropped to a whisper: "Did you hear me?" He, too, seemed to be on the verge of telling his greatest secret.

Adriane nodded, tears suddenly forming in her eyes when she realized she couldn't tell him—unless he already knew. She couldn't risk her friends' trust for the sake of one guy liking her. There was too much in that secret for her to give it away. She bit her lip harder until the skin broke, and she almost gagged when she tasted blood in her mouth.

Edward's nostrils flared and his expression changed. He made a gasping sound, pained and strangled, and turned away just slightly, fists clenching, nails digging into the skin of his palms. His lips were set in a thin line, and his eyes were shadowed. Even without Emily's empathy, Adriane could tell something was wrong. Looking at him, she crept closer, reaching out and placing a hand on his shoulder, terrified that she had done something wrong, and hesitant with the affection this showed. She wasn't a generally touchy-feely sort of person, but she wanted to help him now—she owed him for the staircase. "Eh-Edward?" she asked tentatively, tongue stumbling over the syllables of his name.

"I'm alright." He sounded calm, but there was a hidden, grating noise of daggers in his voice that made Adriane shudder. He turned back to her, and this time his eyes _were_ red, and she stepped back, hand lifting off his shoulder to her mouth. His gaze latched onto that hand, as if they were trying to see through it, trying to see her lips or—

Adriane gulped, swallowing rusty liquid by mistake. It was then that she knew for certain: Edward hadn't asked about supernatural occurrences because he suspected her—he asked because he had a secret of his own. She backed away, standing in her studio, staring at Edward—_This wasn't the same person I offered drinks to ten minutes ago_, and then, _**Yes it was. He is the **_**exact**_** same person he was then.**_ That second voice, the one that always took over in difficult situations, stepped forward, and so did Adriane. She stepped forward, hesitantly at first, then steadily growing bolder, stronger. Then she pried his fingers away from his palms, held his hands tight, and _kissed him_, with all her soul and all her might, bloodied lip and all.

It was a magical kiss—because he kissed back. She expected expectations, but she got acceptance… and in turn, she found she accepted him too, because he _was_ the same person she'd met; she just happened to know why he was so cautious about how he was with other people. However, despite what people think about fairy tales, all things magical must end something, and this kiss had to follow suit. It was Edward who pulled away, eyes wide and revealing a fear he had never really felt before; and he felt fear because her blood was on his lips… and that was something he never wanted to feel.

Adriane opened her eyes, pulled Edward into her studio, closed the door, pushed him into a chair, sat cross-legged on the floor, and said, "Spill," with such an eccentric ferocity that Edward laughed—but it was a dry, humorless laugh.

"What is there to spill?" he asked, avoiding her eyes and running his tongue along his lower lip, clutching at the arms of his chair and letting his nails dig into the wood of it. "…You seem to have done enough of that." His eyes latched onto her mouth again, and again he forced himself to look away.

"Tell me what you are." Adriane said softly, almost in a growling voice. Her fingers tapped her knees relentlessly—she needed answers, and she needed them now. And she needed to confess to Edward.

"…I think you know…" Adriane held her breath as he finished. He spoke solemnly, eyes drifting around the room, appraising her artwork, while he was seemingly unaware that he had repeated something he had said earlier, about the supernatural.

"My guess is that you're… not human." Adriane replied in imitation of his quiet, solemn voice.

"And what sort of inhuman thing am I?" Edward asked, turning to look into her eyes again, his gaze haunted. He had never told another human about his true nature before, and he was nervous as hell that he would be revealed.

"A sort of creature that has developed a liking for blood." Adriane replied quickly, almost noncommittally.

"It's not just a liking." Edward whispered, resting his elbows on his knees, perpendicular to his legs, and his head in his hands.

"What do you mean?" Adriane's eyes narrowed.

"I mean… we _feed_ on blood." Edward said in a chokingly soft voice, as if he was trying to pull the words back in as they came out of his mouth.

Adriane sucked at her lip thoughtfully, willing the wound to stop bleeding. When the blood stopped, she crept up and knelt in front of him. "Edward…" she sighed, eyes closing. "I have to deal with things that are worse than you almost on a daily basis," she said softly. Granted, she was afraid of being this close to him, terrified that whatever instinct drove him to drink blood would drive him to attack her also.

Edward looked up at her sharply, "Animals are completely different—" he began, and then Adriane interrupted:

"I wasn't talking about animals." Adriane opened her eyes, and looked at him—really _looked_, not just at the outside (not like how she'd looked at him in the hospital), but deep into Edward's eyes. "It's _okay_, Edward…" Her voice was just barely audible now, less than a whisper.

"I'm a monster." He stood up abruptly, so quickly that Adriane wasn't even aware he was moving. The amber stone on her wrist crackled with energy, exploding in a blast of light that knocked him back into his chair. He sat back, eyes wide with surprise and confusion.

"No. If you were a monster, you wouldn't have caught me on the stairs." Her eyes narrowed as he opened his mouth to protest, and she continued, "You would have let me fall, so you wouldn't have to kill me—because you _say_ you're a monster, but deep down you really don't want to hurt anyone." At the end of her monologue, she stepped back and looked into his eyes, not flinching, not even dizzy. Edward looked back in silence—he had nothing to say.

"Now tell me what you're not telling me…" Adriane said softly.

"Only if you tell me what that bracelet is," Edward said, gaze shifting to the paw print stone on her wrist before returning to her eyes again.

Adriane nodded—it only seemed fair that she told him about the Wolfstone, mostly because he had already been influenced by it, and especially if he was going to tell her his secret. He was still holding himself back, she could see—there was a certain nervous tenseness in his muscles, and he held himself as far away from her as possible, even though she was right in front of him.

Edward was silent for a long time afterward, drumming his fingers against the arms of his chair, a painful expression on his face—like a convict in a jailhouse, being interrogated. Then he sighed, and Adriane could see the defenses leave him like sweat (only she had a theory that Edward didn't sweat.) He spoke, and it soft, and cautious. "I've been seventeen for a long time, Adriane," he sighed.

"How long?" Adriane sat down cross-legged in front of him, curious and eager for the story; but on the outside she remained calm and serious.

"Eighty-nine years." Edward's troubled gaze focused on the patterns in the wooden floor.

Adriane was silent, hoping there was something more—when she realized that Edward, too, had lapsed into silence, she gasped, "You're… over a century old…"

Edward nodded. "I'm afraid so."

Adriane's eyes widened as she put the pieces together. "A vampire?"

He nodded again. "I'm afraid so," he repeated.

"But a good one." When Edward looked up sharply, expression a mixture of shock and confusion, she added, "I can't believe that you're not… good. You don't drink human blood." Her eyes narrowed. "Do you?"

He shook his head. "We hunt animals… bears, usually."

"I can deal with that." Adriane said with a satisfied nod—granted, she was still afraid.

"Now… about that stone?" Edward breathed a sigh of relief, glad that his confession was over and done with, and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

"This?" Adriane took the bracelet off, looking at the deep amber stone. "…I found it, on the preserve."

"That can't be all," Edward said dryly. It was surprising how quickly he slipped back into his mask, the one that had been so silent when Adriane first met him.

"It isn't. I met a wolf the same day, right after I found it." Adriane frowned, thinking of the grey mistwolf; she had to blink back tears again. "Her name was Stormbringer—and she wasn't… well, she wasn't just a wolf."

"What do you mean?" His curiosity was genuine now—but he looked wary and cautious.

"She could turn into mist—she was a _mistwolf_. So is Dreamer." At his confusion, she said, "…It's magic. Everything in the universe is connected to everything else by a web of magic."

Edward nodded, then asked, "Where does this magic come from?" He seemed pretty sure that Adriane was making all this up, to repay him for telling his big secret.

"Avalon." Adriane's voice was low. Her eyes narrowed. "There is… something, a witch, an evil sorceress, trying to steal the magic."

"And you have to stop it?"

Adriane nodded. "The Wolfstone is magical—I'm a warrior mage, and I can manipulate the Earth…" she trailed off. "You don't believe me." It wasn't a question.

"I believe that you believe in yourself," Edward said. "But—what is a warrior mage?"

"Well… there are three types of mages. A Healer, a Warrior, and a Blazing Star." When Edward nodded, she continued, "A Healer, obviously, has the power to use his or her stone to help others. A Warrior has a more physical power, the ability to manipulate a certain element that their stone is tuned to. And a Blazing Star… their magic is really just unpredictable. I'm not sure what all they can do, but they have the ability to magnify another's magic."

Edward nodded. "…So you're a sorceress, too? But a good one."

Adriane shook her head, "Not a sorceress. A mage."

"Right… A mage." He smiled gently, but it was very hard to Adriane to tell what he was thinking.

Adriane nodded, then jumped when the old grandfather clock down the stairs chimed twice—was it too already? She stood up suddenly, "I—I should go and see Gran," she said, suddenly nervous. Edward stood up also, and nodded.

"That seems like it would be a good idea," Edward said softly. "Carlisle _did_ say that she was doing better."

Adriane smiled broadly, leading Edward back out of the studio (after remembering too late that she hadn't shown him the paintings.

"Don't worry. You can show me another time." Edward said softly, gazing at her almost dreamily.

Adriane laughed softly, slipping the bracelet onto her wrist again and sliding a black ponytail holder off her other wrist. She pulled her hair into a messy ponytail and started down the stairs again. By the time she'd gotten down to the bottom step, she turned to look at him. "How do you _do_ that?" she asked, eyes wide.

"Do what?"

"How do you know what I'm thinking?"

A shadow appeared in Edward's eyes. "I don't have an answer to that," he said with a sigh.

"So you're a vampire, and you can read minds?" Adriane's lips curving upward in a smile—the _real_ smile, the one that revealed that one little dimple in her cheek.

Edward nodded, "Yes."

"That's cool." She nodded. "Dreamer and I… we have a connection. We can see each others' thoughts, but that's it."

"Dreamer?" Edward's eyes widened just slightly when he realized that his assumption (the one about the masculine voice in Adriane's thoughts being Dreamer) was right. Then he laughed, and Adriane laughed too.

Adriane looked at Edward for a moment, and couldn't help but think about how she'd _kissed_ him, and how he'd seemed completely and utterly inhuman for a split second before he'd kissed back.

"Let's go to the hospital." She held out her hand to him.

"To the hospital." Edward agreed with a nod, taking her hand. His hand was cold, but of course she didn't mind. She gave his hand a squeeze and led him to the front door, closing it and locking it with an old fashioned key produced from her pocket. Then they began their walk to the hospital—it was a short walk from Ravenswood to the hospital—in silence, until Adriane's thoughts got the better of her.

"Something bothering you?" Edward asked amiably, because he knew exactly what was bothering her.

"What exactly are we?" Adriane laughed.

"A vampire and a human," he said with a sigh, "unless you want to be my girlfriend." He said that last with a nerve-grating nonchalance that made Adriane do a double take, trying to figure out if he was being serious or not.

Adriane's eyes widened. "G-girlfriend?" the last (and first) boyfriend she'd had had been in eigth grade—then again, Zach hadn't exactly known what the term "girlfriend" was.

"It seems fitting. I like you, a lot, and you quite obviously like me a lot." Edward was smiling.

"Oh-okay." She smiled nervously; she was slightly scared what this would mean for his family… would she be accepted, or avoided?

_**A/N:**__ Of course, the only reason this story is almost halfway done is because Aly is on spring break (almost meaning it's two and a half chapters away from the middle—there are supposed to be thirteen chapters. I'm excited.) HOWEVER, in about four days, she will be forced back into the grind of routine, laptop in tote. Of course, she'll be able to write during school, hopefully, and after school, fur sure. (yes, fur. I'm against it. I'm also a vegetarian… and I have been for the last, oh, three days. Hah.)_


	5. For Time

**[serpent / dove]**

"_Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves."_

—_Matthew 10:16_

**. … .**

**five: for time**

By the time Edward and Adriane got to the hospital, their conversation had moved on to Edward's family, and by the time they got _in_ to the hospital, Adriane could have passed an entrance exam into the Cullen family—not that she'd need one.

The first thing out of her mouth after Edward finished telling his family history was probably one of the oddest things in the world to say. She said: "Edward, I think someone will write a book about you someday."

The first thing on her mind _after_ she said that was: _**Oh, **_**gawd**_**. That was the stupidest thing to say.**_

He looked at her for a moment, completely surprised, and then laughed. "That wasn't stupid at all," he murmured, reaching out and touching her hair gently—pushing a stray lock away from her face, behind her ear. She shuddered, then looked at him and smiled.

"But seriously, Edward. You could write your story and it would probably sell millions—they'd even make a movie of it. It would be the next big craze—of epic _Harry Potter_ proportions." Her dark eyes sparkled with pride and happiness—mostly from the fact that she was next to Edward, holding his hand, but also because he was just so… so _interesting_.

"I doubt it." Edward said, shaking his head. He looked at the receptionist, who was wondering when they were going to ask for assistance, and smiled at her. "Good afternoon," he said, "We were wondering if we could see Ms. Charday?"

"Doctor Cullen is seeing her now—but go ahead in," the receptionist said. "Do you need the room number—?"

"That won't be necessary," Edward said. He took Adriane's hand and led her down the hall, walking next to her until she turned to a door and said, "This is it!"

He smiled, holding the door open for her while she walked in, and closing it soundlessly behind himself.

"Adriane—!" The old woman in the reclining bed sat up, a broad smile appearing on her face and emphasizing her wrinkles—particularly her laugh lines. Adriane smiled back, rushing towards her grandmother and enveloping her in a hug.

"How are you feeling?" Adriane asked her grandmother, releasing the old woman but still remaining close to her.

"I feel better than I've felt in a while, child," Gran said. Her grey gaze settled on Edward, and she smiled gently, "Who is this?"

"This is—ah—" Adriane sighed, wondering how to explain this.

"I'm Edward Cullen," he intervened, and Adriane shot him a grateful look.

"…Cullen," Gran repeated, eyes narrowing. "Are you the doctor's son?"

"Yes."

Gran nodded, then looked at her granddaughter, gesturing for Adriane to come closer. "I think he would be a good one to keep around, Little Bird," she whispered, winking as Adriane blushed:

"Gran!" she stammered, eyes widening.

Edward laughed. "I'm glad you're feeling better, ma'am."

"These old bones have seen more than lung problems, child," the old woman said, completely unaware that Edward's bones were in fact older than hers.

Edward's smile faltered just slightly, but the older woman didn't notice. "I was wondering if Adriane could come over for dinner, since you're still bedridden?" he asked quite suddenly, changing the subject from his youth.

Gran's smile returned at once, "I don't see why that would be a problem," she smiled, looking from Adriane to Edward. "You have my blessing."

Adriane's blush grew more rufescent. _**"**__Gran!_" she nearly screeched. "We're not getting _married_ or anything!"

"For all you know, you could be." Gran said wisely, smiling at her granddaughter's tone.

Adriane's eyes closed tightly. "Okay, fine! I'll go! Let's go—!"

"Now?" Edward's eyes widened.

"Yes, now! Before she starts a wedding arrangement!" Adriane looked panicked.

Edward turned his gaze to the old woman, who laughed. "Go ahead. I'll be here tomorrow, child, and I don't want to be a burden for my granddaughter."

Edward smiled gratefully, took Adriane's hand, and led her out the door. As soon as they were back out the door, he started laughing.

"What's so funny?!" Adriane asked, eyes wide.

"You are—" Edward laughed again, trying to compose himself, "—a riot! Adriane, you have no idea how funny you can be sometimes."

"And you do?"

"Yes." Edward smiled. "I do."

Adriane rolled her eyes, hands on her hips. "Whatever."

There was a silence, and then Adriane looked at him. "Wait a minute—we're not having dinner, are we?"

"No. I just want to spend time with you," Edward sighed amiably, slipping his arm around her waist in a gesture that made her jump: "Edward!" Adriane all but shouted at him, in the same tone of voice that she'd shot at her grandmother for giving them her blessing. He let his arm fall back to his side—he could see that she wasn't exactly comfortable with that.

"You are a strange little girl," Edward said softly, stopping behind a tree and pulling her close against him, smiling gaily like a puppy with his favorite toy. She squirmed, "—not as strange as you—" she mumbled through gritted teeth, ducking under his arms. She could tell that he was just playing, mostly because she knew he was stronger than that.

He laughed, leaned down and kissed her quickly before continuing on his way. Of course, it took her a split second to realize what had happened and she stood stock-still for a moment, mouth agape. Then she remembered to breath, took a gasping gulp of air, and walked behind him.

"What was that for?"

"That was mostly just me getting back at you for what you did in the studio."

"What—making you talk?"

"No. Kissing me."

Adriane rolled her eyes, looking around. "Where are we going?"

"I thought you could show me the preserve." Edward winked.

"If we were going back to my house, why did you ask Gran if you could have me over?!"

He laughed, "I might have wanted to keep you forever."

Adriane tilted her head to the side, eyes narrowing. "What?"

"Never mind." He smiled dazzlingly, and Adriane looked away, glowering over her shoulder back the way they had come. He sighed, "You're angry." It wasn't a question. He moved, lightning fast, so that he was behind her, eyes narrowed. The color of his eyes changed again—they darkened with a confused and intrigued shadow.

"Not angry—just—gah!" she looked away, avoiding his eyes.

"What is it?" he asked, next to her again.

"You are going to drive me insane one day."

"'I've gone insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity.'" Edward said mysteriously, a tender smile lifting the edges of his mouth.

"Lovecraft?" Adriane looked at him, tilting her head to the side.

"No, that was Poe." He laughed.

"How long are we going to be out?" Adriane asked, changing the subject—she just couldn't _focus_ around him.

"Does it matter?"

"No—but I was wondering."

"We have all the time in the world, Adriane. We could walk for five minutes, and I would come back to you tomorrow."

Adriane blinked. "I appreciate you walking me home," she grinned, "but I would prefer some time to think for myself about something _other_ than you."

Edward laughed, pulling her close and kissing her again, leaving her breathless. "Then I will walk you to the Manor, and return tomorrow when you wish."

"Where will I find you?"

They were entering the entrance to the preserve now—and suddenly Adriane felt that they didn't _quite_ have enough time left together. Edward smiled, "You won't have to look very far, trust me. I'll be there as soon as you want me."

"I'll always want you," Adriane mumbled, hoping that he hadn't heard that—but of course he did.

"I will see you as soon as you can admit that again, a little louder." His hand whispered against he cheek, then traveled back to her hand, leading her among the trees lining the paved road to the manor (not that she didn't already know the way.)

Adriane's eyes widened just slightly. "That's about as loud as _that_ gets," she sighed. They paused in front of the door.

"Humor me," he said with a wickedly playful smile. He pulled her close again, and she froze at the proximity, looking up at him with her cheek against his chest—she was almost surprised not to hear anything. His breathing stopped. He sighed, eyelids closing delicately.

"Edward…" she whispered, fingers clutching at his shirt. Her eyes were wide, and her mouth still open just slightly. Her heart was racing, and her thoughts were a blur—she wasn't sure what was about to happen, but she knew she wasn't going to put herself of him in danger.

"Don't move…" he whispered back. Adriane tried her best to stay stock-still, but shivered when his lips brushed against her forehead, the bridge of her nose, her mouth, her cheek, her jaw, her neck, her throat… her pulse thudded in her ears and she tried to keep herself from doing anything irrational.

In a second, he was a foot away from her. "I'll see you tomorrow," he said, smiling and giving an awkward little wave. Adriane flushed, turning towards the door. _Don't look back,_ she thought. _He won't be there. _Ignoring her better judgment, she turned back, and felt a spiraling misery sink into her lungs.


End file.
